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Wingspan Male: 42 - 48mm Female: 46 - 52mm

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus a-fan-TOH-puss hy-per-AN-tuss Linnaeus, 1758 Ref: 1629

Superfamily: Papilionoidea Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Satyrinae Genus: Aphantopus Subgenus:   Species: hyperantus

Introduction Distribution Annual Cycle Habitat Larval Foodplants Nectar Sources

Imago Ovum Larva Pupa Similar Species Videos

Sites Conservation Status Links References

Male

Male Underside

Female

Female Underside

	Introduction

This is a relatively-common butterfly that is unmistakable when seen at rest - the rings on the hindwings giving this butterfly its common name. The uppersides are a uniform chocolate brown that distinguish this butterfly from the closely-related Meadow Brown. Despite this uniformity, a newly-emerged adult is a surprisingly beautiful insect, the velvety wings providing a striking contrast with the delicate white fringes found on the wing edges. The dark colouring also allows this butterfly to quickly warm up - this butterfly being one of the few that flies on overcast days.

Variation in this butterfly is primarily focused on the rings on the hindwings, the lanceolata aberration being particularly striking, where the rings are elongated to form teardrops. Other aberrations occur where the rings are greatly reduced or completely absent.

	Distribution

This butterfly forms discrete colonies and can be found throughout the British Isles, with the exception of northern Scotland. Numbers vary from a few dozen to several thousand.

	Annual Cycle

There is one generation each year, with adults emerging in the second half of June, peaking in mid-July, with a few individuals continuing into August. The flight period is relatively-short when compared with its close relatives.

	Habitat

A variety of habitats is used, although sites characterised as being sheltered and damp are preferred, such as woodland clearings, woodland edges and rides, meadows, hedgerows, road verges and country lanes, where the full heat from the summer sun can be avoided and where the foodplant is lush. The butterfly is not typically found in open areas, such as grassland or heathland.

	Larval Foodplants

The primary larval foodplants are Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), Common Couch (Elytrigia repens), False Brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum), Meadow-grasses (various) (Poa spp.) and Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa).

	Nectar Sources

Adults feed primarily on Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.).

	Imago

Male and female are almost identical in appearance, although it is just possible to make out the feintest of sex brands on the forewings of the male, which contains special scent scales used in courtship. Males adopt an exclusive strategy of patrolling for mates and are often seen in ones and twos fluttering among the grasses that typify their habitat.

A mated female lays her eggs in a somewhat-chaotic fashion, typically perched on a grass stem and ejecting a single egg at random, often into the air, causing it to land in the vegetation. Both sexes take nectar from a variety of sources, Bramble and Thistle being particular favourites.

Ringlet - Mating Pair - 12/07/2008, Hogstown Bog, Co Down, Northern Ireland Photo © Dave McCormick 12-Jul-2008	Photo © Vince Massimo 03-Jul-2005	Photo © Vince Massimo 21-Jun-2007	Photo © Pete Eeles 01-Jul-2008
Photo © Pete Eeles 21-Jun-2007	Photo © Pete Eeles 27-Jun-2005	Photo © Pete Eeles 27-Jun-2005	Photo © Pete Eeles 26-Jun-2005
Photo © Pete Eeles 25-Jun-2004	Photo © Pete Eeles 28-Jun-2009	Ringlet at Park Wood 22 06 2009 Sezar Hikmet Photo © sahikmet	Photo © Sussex Kipper 10-Jun-2009
Photo © Sussex Kipper 15-Jun-2008	Photo © Gwenhwyfar 01-Jul-2009	Photo © Nick Sampford 02-Jul-2004	Photo © Nick Sampford
Photo © sandraandkevin

	Aberrations

Description to be completed

Photo © Paul	Photo © Paul	Photo © Pete Eeles 25-Jun-2005	Photo © Pete Eeles 03-Jul-2009
Photo © Simon Crampin	Photo © Graham Smith	Photo © Graham Smith	Photo © Graham Smith
Photo © Graham Smith

	Ovum

Eggs are a pale yellow when first laid, but soon turn a pale brown. The stage lasts between 2 and 3 weeks.

Photo © Reg Fry

Photo © Reg Fry

	Larva

The larva is nocturnal and hides by day at the base of a grass tussock, emerging at night to feed on the tenderest parts of the foodplant. The larva hibernates while in the 3rd instar, but will feed on particularly warm evenings during the winter. Regular feeding resumes in the spring when the larvae can be found by torchlight feeding on grass stems, although they will fall to the ground with the slightest disturbance. There are 4 moults in total.

Photo © Pete Eeles 15-Apr-2005

Photo © Pete Eeles 17-May-2005

Photo © Pete Eeles 17-May-2005

Photo © Reg Fry

	Pupa

The pupa is formed in a flimsy cocoon, comprising just a few strands of silk, at the base of a grass tussock. This stage lasts around 2 weeks.

Photo © Pete Eeles 06-Jun-2005

	Similar Species

No similar species found.

	Videos

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	Sites

Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.

Rating	Sites
	Arthurs Seat, Aylesbeare Common, Bentley Wood, Bovey Valley Woodlands, Glenarm, Latton Woods, Lower Woods, Old Castle Down
	Gait Barrows, Moors Valley Country Park
	Backside Common, Fleam Dyke, Hockley Woods, Murton Lane, Prees Heath
	Broughton Down
	Sutton Bingham Reservoir
Not rated	Cross Hill Quarry, Howardian Local Nature Reserve, Hyde, Winsdon Hill

	Conservation Status

This is one of the few species that is doing well, with evidence of increases in both distribution and population. It is not, therefore, a priority species for conservation efforts.

UK BAP Status	Distribution Trend	Population Trend
Not Listed

From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).

	Links

The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.

• British Butterflies by Steven Cheshire
• Butterfly Monitoring Scheme
• European Butterflies by Christopher Jonko
• European Butterflies by Matt Rowlings
• Guy Padfield's European Butterfly Page
• Learn About Butterflies by Adrian Hoskins
• Moths and Butterflies of Europe and North Africa
• Natural History Museum (Cockayne Database)

	References

The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:

• A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
• British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
• South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
• The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
• The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
• The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
• The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.

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